While New Year's Eve is about getting home, New Year's Day brings its own event: the London New Year's Day Parade, a colourful procession through the heart of the capital each 1 January. Reaching it from the Chilterns means working around fresh road closures and a city slowly waking up. Here is how to do it in comfort.
- The New Year's Day Parade runs through central London each 1 January with road closures.
- Central London is around 55–75 minutes from the Chilterns, quieter than usual on the day.
- A chauffeur drops you near the route and collects you, avoiding parking and closures.
What is the New Year's Day Parade?
The London New Year's Day Parade is a long-running procession of marching bands, performers and floats that winds through central London on 1 January, from Piccadilly towards Parliament Square. It is a bright, family-friendly start to the year, and it brings its own set of road closures along the route.
How do you get there from the Chilterns?
Central London is around 55–75 minutes from Gerrards Cross by car, and the roads are often quieter than usual on New Year's morning, though the parade route itself is closed. A drop-off near the route and a pickup afterwards is the simplest way to enjoy the day without the parking or the closures.
Why be driven on New Year's Day?
After a late New Year's Eve, nobody wants to drive into London and hunt for parking on the 1st. A chauffeur handles the journey and the closures, dropping you near the parade and collecting you when it ends, so the day is relaxed and festive from start to finish. See our executive cars.
A fresh-start family day out
The parade is a lovely, wholesome way to begin the year with the family, and arriving by chauffeured car keeps it stress-free. Everyone travels together, warm and comfortable, with the travel handled at a fixed price, a gentle, enjoyable start to January.